All Of It with Alison Stewart

Jennifer Vanasco, WNYC editor in the newsroom who writes about culture and theater, joins us to discuss what to do this weekend.

[REBROADCAST FROM July 15, 2021] Emmy-winning and Tony-nominated scenic designer, David Korins, joins us to discuss New York’s Immersive Van Gogh exhibit, which ran at Pier 36 over the summer and reopened on November 17. The installation features 500,000 cubic feet of 360-degree projections to allow visitors to fully immerse themselves in video showcasing Vincent van Gogh’s famous works. Korins serves as the exhibit’s New York creative director and previously designed sets for "Hamilton" on Broadway and “Grease Live!” on FOX.

A new show from playwright Enda Walsh titled "Medicine" tells the story of a man struggling with mental illness, trying to process his past through an unconventional therapy method. The Irish Times says star Domhnall Gleeson's is "a force to be reckoned with." Gleeson joins us to discuss. "Medicine" runs at St. Anne's Warehouse through December 5th. 

[REBROADCAST FROM September 25, 2020] In September 2020, MoMA PS1 featured author and professor of Media, Culture, and Communication at NYU Nicole Fleetwood's exhibit, "Marking Time: Art in the Age of Mass Incarceration." Showcasing art made by people in prisons and work by non-incarcerated artists concerned with state repression, erasure, and imprisonment, this major exhibition explored the centrality of incarceration to contemporary art and culture. Fleetwood, who was awarded a 2021 MacArthur Genius Fellowship, spoke with us about the project.

To continue our hour celebrating all things “tacky,” we turn to one of the ubiquitous “tacky” brands of the early 2000s… Von Dutch. Worn by celebrities like Paris Hilton and Dennis Rodman, the iconic clothing brand may have a bad reputation, but it also has an epic backstory. Director Andrew Renzi joins us to discuss his Hulu docuseries, “The Curse of Von Dutch,” which explores the behind-the-scenes battle between four people who all claim to be the creators of the Von Dutch brand. All three episodes premiere on Hulu on November 18th.

This hour of the show we discuss all things tacky. Kicking it off, we speak with Rax King, author and host of the podcast Low Culture Boil, about her new book Tacky: Love Letters to the Worst Culture We Have to Offer, a collection of essays that covers topics as wide-ranging as Guy Fiereri and “Jersey Shore.” Each essay focuses on a different piece of culture that has been labeled “tacky”… and why King can still find the joy and value in these shows, bands, products, and cultural moments.

We take a moment to remember NPR Books editor and recent All Of It guest Petra Mayer, who passed this past Saturday November 13th. 

Actors Uzo Aduba and Ron Cephas Jones join us to discuss starring in the new play from Lynn Nottage, “Clyde’s,” which tells the story of a sandwich shop run by formerly incarcerated employees. Aduba plays the sadistic owner of the shop, Clyde, while Cephas Jones plays Montrellous, a man chasing after the perfect sandwich. “Clyde’s” runs at the Hayes theater through January 16.

WNYC planning editor Kate Hinds joins us for her ongoing series, “Kate Has a Plan,” to discuss the stories the newsroom is following this week.

Friend of the show and Vulture staff writer Kathryn VanArendonk previews our November Watch Party: "The Morning Show" from Apple TV+.